How do I make good gravy?
Gravy from roasting-tin juices, and how to make a decent one when there is no meat to make it from.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 20 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Pour off most of the fat from the roasting tin, leaving the browned residue, then stir in flour, cook it for a minute, and gradually add stock while scraping the base. That browned residue is where all the flavour is — losing it is the main mistake.
Gravy is deglazing plus thickening. The dark sticky residue in the bottom of a roasting tin is concentrated flavour, and the entire technique is about dissolving that into liquid rather than washing it down the sink.
What you'll need
- Roasting tin juices
- Plain flour
- Stock
- Whisk
- Wine or sherry (optional)
- Redcurrant jelly (optional)
Step by step
- Lift the meat out and let it rest, leaving everything else in the tin.The tin is your pan. Do not wash it.
- Tip the tin and spoon off most of the fat, leaving the darker juices and browned bits.Leave about two tablespoons of fat — you need some to cook the flour in.
- Put the tin over a low heat and stir in a tablespoon or two of flour.Roughly equal to the fat left in. Stir it into a paste.
- Cook the flour for a minute, scraping the base constantly.This removes the raw flour taste and starts lifting the residue.
- Add liquid gradually — stock, vegetable water, or a splash of wine first.A splash of wine or sherry added first and reduced adds considerable depth.
- Scrape the base thoroughly as you add liquid.This is the actual point of the exercise. Every scrap you lift is flavour.
- Simmer until it thickens, then strain if you want it smooth.Five minutes or so. Straining is optional but gives a cleaner result.
- Taste and season last.Stock and pan juices are already salty. Season at the end or you will overdo it.
Tips
- Roasting the meat on a bed of chopped onion, carrot and celery gives you a far better gravy base for no extra work.
- Without meat juices, fry an onion until genuinely dark, then proceed the same way with stock. It gets you most of the way.
- A spoonful of redcurrant jelly, marmite or a dash of soy adds depth to a gravy that tastes thin.
Common mistakes
- Washing the roasting tin before making gravy — The browned residue is where nearly all the flavour is.
- Leaving all the fat in — The gravy is greasy. Pour most of it off and keep the darker juices.
- Seasoning early — Stock and pan juices are salty and the gravy concentrates as it reduces.
Questions people ask
How do I make gravy without meat juices?
Fry an onion slowly until genuinely dark brown, add flour, cook it out, then add stock gradually. Browning the onion properly is what replaces the roasting residue.
Why is my gravy lumpy?
The flour was added to liquid rather than to fat, or the liquid went in too fast. Cook the flour into the fat first, then add liquid gradually. A sieve or stick blender rescues it.